How to Reduce Gutter Cleaning by Installing Downspout Screens and Gutter Guards

How to Reduce Gutter Cleaning by Installing Downspout Screens and Gutter Guards

Gutter cleaning, while necessary, is never fun. I’d chalk that chore right up there with laundry and donating blood. However, proper maintenance and function is critical to the health of your home and will avoid costly home repairs later. This article will show you two simple products that will extend the interval between gutter cleaning–saving you time and money.

How to Install a Gutter Downspout Screen

The first device is called a gutter downspout screen. It is simply a strainer that has been designed to easily mold to the shape of a downspout and prevent leaves and debris from entering the downspout. When installed, a gutter downspout screen will prevent the gutter downspouts and drains from clogging, which is a primary cause of Gutters backing up.

Gutter downspout screens are easy to install. After removing the screen from the package, form the screen in the shape of the downspout-whether it be a square, rectangle or circle. Install the screen in a clean gutter with the closed end upwards. Tension is sufficient to hold the screen in place and you will want to place the screen about halfway down the drain of the gutter so that the top of the screen forms a “bulb.”

When properly installed, the gutter downspout screen will prevent leaves, twigs and other debris from entering the downspout. In addition, it will make cleaning your Gutters much easier.

In general, I’m not a big fan of Gutter Guards. That discussion I’ll leave to another article. The short answer is that can be expensive, can actually cause more problems than they solve and can lure a homeowner into the false belief that their Gutters never require servicing again.

Suffice to say, however, Gutter Guards do have their time and place. One such application is in an area of Gutters subject to significant debris.

I suppose “significant debris” is wholly subjective. But at my home, for example, I have one stretch of Gutters that need to be cleaned three to four times each fall. For me, that is entirely too much! I have more important things to do with my time than clean the same gutter multiple times per year.

Gutter Guards come in many shapes, styles, colors, sizes and designs. Many niche service companies offer their own unique design or brand and similarly tout their superiority to every other gutter guard on the market.

For now I’ll dodge the issue of the merits of gutter guard designs, for my purpose here isn’t to evaluate or compare designs or products. Instead I want to focus on the benefit than any gutter guard claims to achieve. Namely, to reduce or eliminate the need for gutter cleaning.

While Gutter Guards rarely eliminate the need to clean the Gutters, they can significant eliminate the majority of leaves and debris that enter a gutter-thereby reduce the cleaning interval.

Downspout Screens and Gutter Guard Still Require Maintenance

While screens and guards may significantly reduce the amount of debris allowed into your gutter, they often do not eliminate it. In addition, many other factors unrelated to debris can affect gutter performance, so it is wise to have these Gutters and downspouts inspected annually and cleaned, if necessary.

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Dye Gutters and Exteriors

We are a small family owned business, with gutters being our main focus. After working in the industry for 9 years we decided it was time to offer our customers the very best in customer service, and start my own business.